6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
They're back! The giant underground creatures that terrorized a desert town in Tremors are now plowing their way through Mexican oil fields, gobbling up everything and everyone around-and only one man can stop them! Two desert desperados, down-on-his-luck Earl Basset and gung-ho survivalist Burt Gummer, take on the task of destroying the monsters. Together they devise an ingenious plan for tracking and killing the creatures.
Starring: Fred Ward, Chris Gartin, Helen Shaver, Michael Gross, Marcelo TubertHorror | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 28% |
Comedy | 1% |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
4K Ultra HD
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 0.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Perhaps somewhat comically, there wasn't "a whole lotta shaking goin' on" when Tremors was originally released in 1990, at least in terms of rumbles from hordes of people rushing to the box office. That may make it seem positively odd that the film should spark a "franchise", and in that regard, while it's simultaneously a bit surprising that even one sequel got made, I'd argue that the equally unexpected appeal of Tremors 2: Aftershocks probably gave as much impetus to the idea of there even being a franchise as the first film did. The production and release of Tremors 2: Aftershocks is dealt with in some detail in the supplements Arrow has aggregated for this outing, and so won't be repeated ad nauseum here, but it's interesting to note that much as the first Tremors "took off" (and/or under, as the graboid case may be) courtesy of the then nascent home video rental market, Tremors 2: Aftershocks also maybe almost "accidentally" ended up being a more or less direct to video offering. That didn't necessarily mean instant universal acclaim, and kind of like the first film, it took a while for the Tremors 2: Aftershocks "cult" to develop. This film has only been previously available as part of Universal's Tremors: Attack Pack release from several years ago, and as one of the leading curators of "cult" items, Arrow is now offering it as a standalone with their typically great assortment of supplements.
Note: Screenshots are sourced from Arrow's standalone 1080 release of Tremors 2: Aftershocks. Per Arrow's standard operating procedure, this release does not
include a 1080 presentation, which is why the 2K score above is left blank.
Tremors 2: Aftershocks is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Arrow Video with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 1.85:1. Arrow
provides the
same insert booklet for its (standalone) 1080 and 4K UHD releases, which contains the following information on the restoration:
Tremors 2: Aftershocks is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with stereo surround audio and a remastered 4.0 mix. The original 35mm camera negative was scanned in 4K resolution by NBC Universal. The film was restored in 4K and graded in SDR and HDR10 by Heavenly Movie Copr. Dolby Vision grading was completed by Fidelity in Motion.There are a number of noticeable improvements in suffusion and fine detail in this 4K version from Arrow, upping already excellent detail levels which I mention in our Tremors 2: Aftershocks Blu-ray review of Arrow's 1080 release. The increased brightness of this transfer when compared to Universal's own release from years ago is probably even more noticeable here, with some really kind of gorgeous new highlights courtesy of HDR and/or Dolby Vision in the glut of outdoor scenes in particular. Fine detail on some of the practical graboid effects is also at least marginally improved in this version, while on the flip side some of the CGI may look a little more artificial courtesy of the increased resolution of this version. As I also mentioned in my review of Arrow's 1080 release, grain is much more tightly resolved than in Universal's release, though some of the uptick in the grittiness of the grain field during opticals are probably even more noticeable in this version, and a few other sequences, as in the kitchen scene between Bassett and Reilly can show a bit more blackish grain crawling up the background walls than in the 1080 version.
The stereo mix was supplied by NBC Universal. The 4.0 source stems were digitised from the 2" 24 track masters at NBC Universal and the 4.0 mix was remastered at Deluxe, London. To make the 4.0 mix compatible with modern surround sound setups the single rear surround channel has been split and adjusted to fit the two rear channels of a standard surround setup.
Tremors 2: Aftershocks features DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 options (see the excerpt from the insert booklet reprinted above for more details). You can't really go wrong with either of these, though the 4.0 mix does add some really fun if intermittent immersion and has a more floorboard rumbling low end. The engagement of the rear channels is really rather interesting in the 4.0 mix, and tends to be used at times almost as quasi-startle effects when, for example, the mix is almost completely forward until a graboid suddenly emerges from the ground and then all four channel hell breaks loose for a moment or two. There are some other interesting "widenings" as in the very opening cue, which offers the solo guitar in the front channels but then slowly weaves the orchestra in in the rear channels. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.
- Commentary by S.S. Wilson & Nancy Roberts
- Commentary by Jonathan Melville
- Tremors (HD; 1:55)
- Tremors 2 (HD; 1:53)
Jonathan Melville is pretty unabashed (and, frankly, unashamed) of his love for this sequel, claiming it's one of the all time greats. Some may wish to quibble with that designation, but Tremors 2: Aftershocks is a lot of fun a lot of the time, and Arrow once again offers a release with secure technical merits, appealing on disc supplements, and really handsome packaging offering even more non disc swag. Recommended.
1996
Limited Edition | 4K Restoration
1996
Limited Edition
1996
Special Edition | 4K Restoration
1996
Special Edition
1996
1996
2001
2004
2015
Special Edition
1990
1954
Collector's Edition
2006
1996
2010
1957
2013
2018
Collector's Edition
1978
1993
2002
1984
1957
Mutant / Roger Corman's Cult Classics
1982
Collector's Edition
1978
2010
Standard Edition
1988